


Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Kitchen

by DragleClef



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: Cooking, Domestic, M/M, listen I want to see these boys happy and if I have to write it myself then so be it!!!, menudo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 20:03:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16625549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragleClef/pseuds/DragleClef
Summary: Ari and Dante, cooking dinner together.





	Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Kitchen

“Do we really need this many peppers?” Dante’s eyebrows rise alongside his voice as he asks.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“What, and let Gina call us a couple of  _ pochos _ for not being able to take the heat?”

“But I am one!”

“I’m not.”

“Fine, but I’m taking out the seeds.”  Dante already has a knife out as he says this, briskly slicing open each pepper and scraping the seeds into a bowl.

“Fine.”  Ari turns around, bringing his attention back to the onions on his own chopping board.  He feels the tears welling up in his eyes even as a fond grin slowly spreads across his face.

Lost in the rhythm of the knife rocking back and forth on the board, it takes him a while to notice that the usual animated sounds of Dante being in proximity have stopped.  He turns around to find Dante, knife laid to rest on the board behind him, openly staring.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“ _ Dante _ .”

“No really, it’s nothing!  I was just wondering, you know, are you sure you’re okay inviting Gina and Susie over?”

One look and Ari understands what Dante’s asking. Dante had always been like that, open and easy to read.  It was a large part of the reason Ari fell in love with him, long before he’d realized it.

“I … well, remember how one of our rules was to never talk about the accident?”

“That was a stupid rule. I was stupid.”

“N .. no you’re not, Ari.”

“Yes, I was.  If I’d just figured myself out, if I’d just gotten over myself and how I thought things should have been…”

“Ari.  Look at me.”  Dante’s hands were on Ari’s shoulders now, gripping tight, his normally far-off gaze now focused clearly on the shorter boy in front of him.  “You’re not stupid.”

“But if I’d just accepted what I was feeling instead of … whatever it was …”

“If things were different, they’d be different.”  Dante’s easy grin returned to his face. “Ari, what’s important is that you did figure yourself out.”

“I still hurt you.”

“You did.”

“We should keep cooking this menudo.”

“We should.”

Ari puts the pot over the hot stove and takes a deep breath.  “Hey, Dante?”

“Yeah, Ari?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”  Ari feels familiar arms draping themselves over his shoulders, sees fingers he knows as well as his own clasping over his chest.  A face he can’t see but can picture without closing his eyes presses its cheek against his long hair. “I know.”

Ari sighs, letting himself be held for a moment. His wonders how he could have ever deserved to meet this boy, a boy who taught him the secrets of water and air, who cares about birds with broken wings.

“I love you.”

“I know.” The hands release him and spin him around to reveal the face he knows so well, Dante's brown eyes deep enough to contain a universe. Ari had gotten familiar with that universe over the years spent together, but every time he looked he knew there was so much more in it than he could learn in a lifetime. “I love you too.”

Instinctually Ari's hand finds itself on Dante's chest, feeling the warmth there. “I know.”

They stay for a while, but it feels too soon before Ari moves away to put oil in the heated pot, and once that's heated the kitchen becomes full of motion and Dante's voice, talking about everything and nothing as he grabbed spices for the recado and all the prepared ingredients in turn while Ari minds the pot, stirring to make sure nothing burns.

Dante never seems to mind that Ari never speaks up as much as he does. Ari had apologized about it many times over the years, fearing that he was too distant, but each time Dante told him the same thing. “Ari, this isn't something to apologize about. You have to be who you are, and I have to be who I am.” Each time they had this conversation, Ari became more convinced that Dante had uncovered some secret about him that even he didn't know yet, and probably wouldn't understand even if Dante told him.

As he works, Ari lets himself be lost in the sound of Dante's voice and the smell of the menudo. Once the pork is done, he busies himself preparing the different toppings to go on it.

Dante, meanwhile, begins setting the table for four people around the bowls where the menudo and toppings would go. He keeps chatting to Ari in the kitchen even as he's turned the other way. Ari idly begins to wonder if the only time Dante isn't talking is when he's kissing him.

Finally, all the food is in the serving bowls, and Ari and Dante take one last look at the table.

“Smells good.” Dante can't hide his grin.

Ari can't help returning it. “Sure does.”

“Hey Ari, do you think Gin--” Dante's question is cut off as Ari presses their lips together in a quick kiss. “Ari?”

“Nothing, just testing a thought I had.”

Dante's grin turned. “Well then, better help you with that.” He bent down and cupped his hand against the darker boy's cheek before pulling him into a deeper kiss.

And he kissed him. And he kissed him. And he kissed him. And he kissed him. And he kissed him. And he kissed him. And Dante didn't say a single word the whole time.

Eventually they broke apart, out of breath and hearts pounding.

“Gina and Susie will probably be here soon.”

“Yeah.”

They sat there, holding hands, as they waited for their friends to come.


End file.
